Renegades/One
ONE anika ANIKA DIDN’T know what she expected when she stepped back into the Twolegplace for the first time in ten moons. Last time she had been here, she had been just twelve moons old, young and stupid. Everything still looked the same. The buildings were still abandoned and it still looked very much like a ghost town. That’s what this place was: Ghost Town. No Twolegs lived here anymore because of some disease that had swept through here long ago. It wasn’t a disease that touched the cats though. Anika trotted through the wealthier regions of the Twolegplace and she recognized some of the dens and families living there. She had once been among them, until…until everything had happened to change her life. None of the cats recognized her, but it had been ten long moons. Anika looked like a forest cat now, with her clean, groomed fur, and sharp, gleaming claws. The Twolegplace cats got around with grimy fur and sharp but dirty claws. She didn’t even know what brought her back. Maybe it was because she no longer wanted to wander the woods, meeting strange cats like the Clan cats she had lived with for five moons before she left again. She wandered as a rogue for five more moons before her paws found the Twolegplace again. Ghost Town. It sure felt like ghosts were following her around. All she could think about was how she had made friends and had lost them in the twelve moons she had lived here. “Anika.” She turned and dipped her head as she recognized the captain of the Rose sector. The wealthier districts were marked by sectors named off flowers and Anika had once lived here in Rose. “You came back.” He noted. “Yes, I did, Zeke.” The black tom stared at her—out of curiously and not hostility. “You left without a word, Anika, I thought you died too. Only…only the incident with him told me that you were still alive and you had fled to the forest.” Anika winced slightly. She didn’t like the idea of being pinned as a coward. “Is there news on the incident?” She asked cautiously. Zeke sighed. “Nothing. It’s been ten moons and we thought it had been solved after you turned in the suspect but just a week ago there was another murder. Either there is a new one on the loose or…the same murderer is on the loose again.” The calico felt slightly guilty. “I thought something was going on here. I came back because instinct told me there was more I had to do here.” Not that I did much good last time I tried to solve a murder. Zeke nodded. “We’re grateful to have you back, of course, Anika, but…your den was sold. You don’t have a home here in Rose. Your best bet is to go to the Alley and find a den there.” The Alley: the nickname for the poor side of town. There were criminals and gangs there and lots of skirmishes and fights that led to death. “I don’t need a home,” Anika shook her head, “Fate brought me back to deal with the murders. I’ll solve the case and leave again. I don’t think Ghost Town is my home.” “Was the forest home?” Zeke asked softly. Anika’s heart ached. “No,” she whispered, “but I’ll find somewhere.” “He’s in the Alley, Anika, you’ll find him there.” Guilt overwhelmed her at the thought of her bright-eyed tom stuck in the dirt and grime of the Alley. He had once aspired to join her on the rich side of town but there would never be another chance for him. “Thank you,” she said to Zeke, relieved that he had brought up the topic without her asking. “He won’t be looking for you,” Zeke warned, “he thinks you’ve forgotten him.” “You’ve seen him?” There was too much hope in Anika’s voice. “We all have, Anika, he’s…you’ll see. I’m sure you’ll find him; he’s hard to miss. But he’s changed. Don’t expect the same tom you once played with when you were twelve moons old. The Alley is a hard place to live.” “He’s never let that bother him before,” Anika tried to remain strong. She had to believe that he was the same or else she wouldn’t be able to stay here. Ghost Town held too many memories. Zeke shook his head. “I wish you luck, Anika, but remember: when you’re done with this case, you can come back to Rose and I can try to find you a home.” “I don’t have the prey or status to come back,” Anika smiled sadly at her old captain, “Thank you though.” She walked away before he could pursue it and the black tom stared after the young calico she-cat, wondering how much she had learned from the forest and how much she had gone through for such sadness to coat her. But he supposed there was more to her sadness than he had known about. Anika had a lot of memories here in Ghost Town and a lot of them held sorrow as well. ~ “Wait, you can’t go,” he pleaded, “You can’t just leave like this! What about the rest of the case?” “It’s solved,” Anika whispered, “I solved it.” “Who is it?” He stared at her, “You didn’t discuss this with me. Did you already tell the police?” “Yes.” “Anika! What’s going on? Why won’t you tell me what’s going on? Why are you leaving so soon? You promised me that when we solved this we’d find a life to settle into in Rose. I know I’m just an Alley tom but I can be better for you.” Tears shone in her eyes. “You were always too good for me,” she choked on her words, “I don’t deserve you.” He didn’t get it then. He didn’t understand what she had done, what she had uncovered with in the case. But she had to get away before the last clues of the case caught up to him and he realized what she had done. “I have to go,” she repeated, “I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “You’re a coward.” “I solved the case!” She protested, “I don’t…after that, I don’t want to live here. You’re right; I don’t want to live constantly watching my back in the Alley. I don’t belong here.” “Then go live your pampered life in Rose!” He snarled, “I get it: I’m not good enough for you.” “No,” she shook her head, “you’re ''too good for me.” She repeated. “I’m going to go to the forest and disappear from here forever. My home isn’t here and it never will be.”'' He just stared at her, his electric blue eyes anguished and angry at the same time. “You said you solved the case so what is there for you to worry about? The murderer is caught! We can live in peace again, Anika. I know we’re only twelve moons old but we’re the geniuses who solved the case. There’s so much ahead of us, ''together.”'' No, she had thought, there is nothing for either of us. ~ She wondered if he would ever forgive her for leaving. She wondered what had happened in the time she had left. She was glad to hear that he was still in the Alley and that he hadn’t been punished for anything. Perhaps he would never even know. With Anika gone, the police couldn’t confirm the results of the case. She had made a mistake and she had made up for it in the best way she could: by running away. If she had tried to retract her statement, nobody would have believed her. They had all wanted the case to be solved but Anika knew she had made a mistake. The facts hadn’t added up but…it was already too late. She hadn’t even thought to ask him to come with her but she supposed now it was too late to change the past. She could only hope that he would meet her in the Alley and they could do what they had done ten moons ago and solve this new case. They were the geniuses of Ghost Town, the best detectives in the area. She knew the moment when she stepped into the Alley and left the rich sectors behind. The ground became grimy and dirty and there was a certain stench to the area. Haggard cats glared at her from their ramshackle dens and Anika realized how pristine her fur looked. Anika tried to remain unseen as she made her way through the streets, trying to remember how to get to his den. Did he still live there? She found the street but the den was empty. Anika felt her heart drop and realized that perhaps she should have asked Zeke where exactly she could find him. She knew she couldn’t wander for too long around here; the gangs would find her. But she learned how to fight in the Clans and Anika knew she could defend herself if it came to that. Perhaps he had already seen her and was making her wait as punishment and to see if she was worth welcoming back. She felt the presence of cats a second before the attack came. Anika dropped to the ground, and rolled, gritting her teeth as the slime of the ground smeared all over her mostly white pelt. The two cats that had lunged for her hit each other and Anika didn’t waste any time fighting them before she took off. She didn’t know where she was headed but she heard the pursuit of the cats. A gang perhaps? Maybe they just wanted to tussle with her because they thought she was rich. Anika speared for the rich sectors again but she knew she wouldn’t make it in time. She spun back around and raised her paws, meeting the she-cat’s lunge head on. She unsheathed her claws in seconds and slashed them down the she-cat’s flank, sending her howling. All three cats had jagged scars just behind their left ear. Razorclaws then. Anika knew enough about the Alley to name a few gangs. Razorclaws were the most popular gang and the dominant one. Anika must be on their territory. She briefly wondered if he had joined up with the Razorclaws because he had lived on their territory. During their time together and their friendship, he had refused any offers from gangs and stayed out of the fights for as long as he could. But Anika knew every Alley cat got involved with the gangs sooner or later. A gang meant a family—and protection. She beat them back, hissing a little as one of them managed to slice open her left shoulder. She held her ground and kicked one of the toms back before plunging her claws into the flank of the other. But more kept coming. Anika was hopelessly outnumbered and she knew she was a fool for entering the Alley without any knowledge of how the streets were run today. She was going to be killed for her idiocy. Cats flooded out of the streets but they weren’t Razorclaws, Anika realized, as she saw three claw marks on their left forepaw and shivered. This wasn’t a gang she was familiar with but she knew the sign. But she had no time to dwell on it as the cats with the three claw marks fought back against the Razorclaws who had joined the fight and beat them back, sparing Anika. She sagged in relief and intended to turn and run again to save her pelt but a light gray tom was standing in her way, his electric blue eyes too familiar for comfort. Anika’s mouth ran dry and her eyes widened as she stared at him. “Hello, Anika,” he said softly, “I see you’ve returned.” She swallowed and searched his gaze but found nothing but coldness. He knew she had been here and had somehow gathered cats to save her when the Razorclaws had found her. Or perhaps it had just been coincidence and he thought he was just saving a random, poor she-cat. She found her voice again. “Hello, Luke.” Category:Renegades